


What It Cost

by orphan_account



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Avengers Feels, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, I Don't Even Know, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Going to Hell, I'm Sorry, Infinity War spoilers, Marvel Universe, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 10:25:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14518449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: I'm still not okay from A4:IW, so I wrote this *very* short one-shot in order to vent my feelings. Deals with some of the characters immediately after Thanos's finger snap. Obviously spoilers.





	What It Cost

Thor surveyed Steve carefully as he knelt in the ash that was his best friend just moments before. He was reminded viscerally of laying over his brother’s corpse. Now, that memory seemed like lifetimes ago. He remembered what he'd told the rabbit aboard their ship—that he had nothing left to lose. He realized now that he’d been wrong as he felt a rising wave of despair for those that had disintegrated. Thor turned away, cursing himself for not striking a killing blow to Thanos before he could execute his plan.  All of it had been in vain after all.  Stormbreaker hung uselessly at his side. It no longer felt like a mythological weapon but a useless hunk of metal. They'd _lost._

 

***

 

"Oh God," Steve murmured, bile rising in his throat. Bucky's voice, saying his name over and over again on loop sounded in his head so loudly that he clamped his hands over his ears as if it would quiet something in his own mind. He had just gotten Bucky—the real Bucky—back and now he was gone. Again. What had he done to deserve watching his best friend die in front of him _twice_? Steve looked up at Thor, who was muttering darkly to himself. “It’s not your fault, Thor,“ Steve croaked. “It’s not.”

 

***

 

Okoye felt the fatigue of battle dispel, driven out by numbness and shock. She'd seen T'Challa collapse into dust but her mind refused to process what had happened. She scrambled to her feet, breathing hard, screaming for her king. Deafening silence was the only answer. She sank again to her knees feeling a sickeningly familiar grief envelop her. She'd had to watch her king die once already. Twice was more than the universe could rightfully ask of her.

 

***

 

Tony held his violently shaking hand to his chest, his thoughts racing faster than he could process them. The kid. _Peter_. The last thing he'd told him was a lie. _You're alright kid._

Nebula approached him slowly, her bionic features arranged into an expression of pity. "Was he… yours?"

Tony nodded, trying hard to blot out the memory of Peter’s botched attempt to save the Staten Island Ferry. _And if you died… I feel like that’s on me. I don’t need that on my conscience._

 

***

 

Thanos watched as the sun rose on a grateful universe, contemplating what he’d lost. As he breathed in the cool morning air, he knew that it had all been worth it. Even though it had cost him everything.


End file.
